Got a question about a trade I did with a kid.

[leglez]

Ok about 3 weeks ago I made a trade with a kid that used to go to school with me. It was gonna be My $300 video camera and $200 for his Black MacBook without a charger and a 60GB iPod.

He brought the laptop over I gave him the video camera and he told me he would bring the iPod by some other time. So I wait and never get the iPod so I contact him and he says he must of lost it so i think ok well I just won't give him the cash then. 3 weeks later still no iPod and he texts me saying he wants the laptop back if I am not gonna give him the money. And I tell him that since he came halfway through on his part of the deal so did I so if he got me a iPod I would get him the cash. Note: I had to buy the $80 charger for the laptop to even turn on.

Whenever he first offered me the laptop I was kinda fishy of it because of how much of a great deal it was. So I am assuming the laptop is stolen. Now he is saying since the deal didn't work out like he had planned he is wanting it back. We never had any contract written or anything. So is there anything I can do? I am pretty sure I can't contact the cops or anything because if it is stolen then the cops find out who's it is and then I get blamed for stealing it when the other guy truly could of stole it. So what should I do?

Locked until we figure out what to do with this thread.

esquared
Anandtech Senior Moderator

 

[Slew Foot]

That "kid" sounds like a complete douchebag.

 

[BigJ]

So basically you paid $500 for a Black MacBook (aren't they $1500 on the website?) and a 60gb iPod?

I'd say for sure they're stolen. Get your camera back and don't deal with him anymore. Not only are you in possession of stolen property, he's probably got thug friends that he may come after you with.

Is that really something you want to deal with because of greed?

 

[leglez]

So if I do give it back should I contact cops first or what?

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: leglez
So if I do give it back should I contact cops first or what?

If you report him to the police, be prepared to deal with the consequences.

 

[FoBoT]

is the kid in a gang? will the gang hunt you down and shoot you?

 

[novasatori]

if you aren't scared of him, i'd just ignore him, especially if you don't see him all the time

otherwise just tell him you want the ipod for the 200 and that's it.

 

[Kelemvor]

Could always check with Apple and give them the serial number in case they track that sort of thing.

Or even better, tell the kid you gave the laptop to your cousin as a gift and that he's a police officer and he loves it.

If you do return it, return it and make him pay you the $80 for the charger you had to buy.

 

[leglez]

We live in a relatively small town ~6,000 people. So there aren't any gangs. He is part of the military I am not sure which part. He could kick my ass. But he is 19 and I am 17 so if he did attempt to fight me I believe he would be the one to get in trouble. I also just discovered who he stole it from. Its a kid that used to live in my town but now goes to college 45 minutes away. He is offering me $200 since I paid for the charger, but I am not really satisfied since I have started using this computer as my main computer and it has all my documents and everything on it. So I am contemplating taking the cash then telling the kid that he stole it from and then possibly risking getting in a fight and getting ruffed up a bit....

 

[leglez]

Is there anyway to completely erase OSX off of the hard drive. I don't have any discs and I want all my documents off if I do give it to him.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: leglez
We live in a relatively small town ~6,000 people. So there aren't any gangs. He is part of the military I am not sure which part. He could kick my ass. But he is 19 and I am 17 so if he did attempt to fight me I believe he would be the one to get in trouble. I also just discovered who he stole it from. Its a kid that used to live in my town but now goes to college 45 minutes away. He is offering me $200 since I paid for the charger, but I am not really satisfied since I have started using this computer as my main computer and it has all my documents and everything on it. So I am contemplating taking the cash then telling the kid that he stole it from and then possibly risking getting in a fight and getting ruffed up a bit....

At least you know what you're getting yourself into.

Honestly, you're going to get the shit beaten out of you. Not to mention probably have your house vandalized, car messed up, and all sorts of other shit happening.

 

[leglez]

Is it illegal for a 19 year old to attack a 17 year old? I know its illegal for anyone to attack anyone but is it even worse if they are under 18? I know I will get the shit beat out of me and I know this kid and he doesn't have the balls to vandalize anything besides my face.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: leglez
Is it illegal for a 19 year old to attack a 17 year old? I know its illegal for anyone to attack anyone but is it even worse if they are under 18? I know I will get the shit beat out of me and I know this kid and he doesn't have the balls to vandalize anything besides my face.

Prove that he beat your ass.

And realize if you go to the police, you're going to have to tell them what it's about. You're going to tell them that you're in possession of stolen property. You ready to go to jail for this? Get probation? Do community service?

And I wouldn't be so sure about the vandalizing thing.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: leglez
We live in a relatively small town ~6,000 people. So there aren't any gangs. He is part of the military I am not sure which part. He could kick my ass. But he is 19 and I am 17 so if he did attempt to fight me I believe he would be the one to get in trouble. I also just discovered who he stole it from. Its a kid that used to live in my town but now goes to college 45 minutes away. He is offering me $200 since I paid for the charger, but I am not really satisfied since I have started using this computer as my main computer and it has all my documents and everything on it. So I am contemplating taking the cash then telling the kid that he stole it from and then possibly risking getting in a fight and getting ruffed up a bit....

size of a town has nothing to do with gangs.

If he is military and kicks your ass he will be in a world of problems.

The right thing to do is give it back to the kid that had it stolen and call the cops and his commanding officer saying you are worried about your safety.

The biggest problem is you had to have known this was stolen from the start and that is just bullshit for buying into it. I know you dealing in stolen property will have many not wanting to trade with you, hopefully the all that stuff you have sold was legit...being only 17 I don't know now looking at it all.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: leglez
We live in a relatively small town ~6,000 people. So there aren't any gangs. He is part of the military I am not sure which part. He could kick my ass. But he is 19 and I am 17 so if he did attempt to fight me I believe he would be the one to get in trouble. I also just discovered who he stole it from. Its a kid that used to live in my town but now goes to college 45 minutes away. He is offering me $200 since I paid for the charger, but I am not really satisfied since I have started using this computer as my main computer and it has all my documents and everything on it. So I am contemplating taking the cash then telling the kid that he stole it from and then possibly risking getting in a fight and getting ruffed up a bit....

At least you know what you're getting yourself into.

Honestly, you're going to get the shit beaten out of you. Not to mention probably have your house vandalized, car messed up, and all sorts of other shit happening.

man i'd hate to live in fear like that having me not do the right thing.

 

[leglez]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: leglez
We live in a relatively small town ~6,000 people. So there aren't any gangs. He is part of the military I am not sure which part. He could kick my ass. But he is 19 and I am 17 so if he did attempt to fight me I believe he would be the one to get in trouble. I also just discovered who he stole it from. Its a kid that used to live in my town but now goes to college 45 minutes away. He is offering me $200 since I paid for the charger, but I am not really satisfied since I have started using this computer as my main computer and it has all my documents and everything on it. So I am contemplating taking the cash then telling the kid that he stole it from and then possibly risking getting in a fight and getting ruffed up a bit....

size of a town has nothing to do with gangs.

If he is military and kicks your ass he will be in a world of problems.

The right thing to do is give it back to the kid that had it stolen and call the cops and his commanding officer saying you are worried about your safety.

The biggest problem is you had to have known this was stolen from the start and that is just bullshit for buying into it. I know you dealing in stolen property will have many not wanting to trade with you, hopefully the all that stuff you have sold was legit...being only 17 I don't know now looking at it all.

Yeah but I know my town ... there aren't gangs, its just something you would know if you lived here. And thanks for the tip about contacting his officer. And yes I figured it was stolen but I didn't really care it seemed like a good deal and I needed a laptop. I know your not accusing me of selling stolen property but trust me I have never sold anything stolen. I know a good deal when I see one and i am one only kids in my group of friends that knows anything about computers so everyone comes to me when they need to sell something. But thanks for the tips. I am wiping the hdd right now then returning it tomorrow.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: leglez
We live in a relatively small town ~6,000 people. So there aren't any gangs. He is part of the military I am not sure which part. He could kick my ass. But he is 19 and I am 17 so if he did attempt to fight me I believe he would be the one to get in trouble. I also just discovered who he stole it from. Its a kid that used to live in my town but now goes to college 45 minutes away. He is offering me $200 since I paid for the charger, but I am not really satisfied since I have started using this computer as my main computer and it has all my documents and everything on it. So I am contemplating taking the cash then telling the kid that he stole it from and then possibly risking getting in a fight and getting ruffed up a bit....

At least you know what you're getting yourself into.

Honestly, you're going to get the shit beaten out of you. Not to mention probably have your house vandalized, car messed up, and all sorts of other shit happening.

man i'd hate to live in fear like that having me not do the right thing.

You really are a dumbass.

He's talking about ripping off the guy who stole the laptop for $200 and he's doing the right thing?

Doing the right thing would've been not bartering for stolen property in the first place.

 

[alkemyst]

I was referring to not doing anything because you are afraid someone may come get you.

I already posted what he should do. He was also going to possibly contact the kid that it belonged too, getting the $200 back just covers his payment for it...to me 90% of it is letting the victim know.

However I think discussion of buying a self-admitted stolen laptop should be off-limits here and someone that uses heatware and now admits to knowingly buying stolen goods is also pretty crappy...I would hope that is grounds for removal from heat.

You are just as guilty as the person that stole the laptop for buying it when you knew it was hot.

A good deal when you see one is easy to find when you are looking at something no one paid for.

 

[OdiN]

It's stolen...you know it's stolen. If you don't tell the police you are just as guilty as the person who stole it.